


Cat in a Crate

by embeer2004



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dirty Laundry, Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, M/M, Past Rape/Non-con, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, vipurr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:22:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25959739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/embeer2004/pseuds/embeer2004
Summary: Gaetan experiences a harrowing flashback and Letho comforts him the only way he knows how: the Viper way.
Relationships: Gaetan/Letho z Gulety | Letho of Gulet
Comments: 34
Kudos: 129
Collections: Vipurr: A Collection of Cat and Snake in Love (or just Murder Husbands), Witcher Rarepair Discord Collection





	Cat in a Crate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rawrkinjd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rawrkinjd/gifts), [round_robin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/round_robin/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Cabinet of Curiosities](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25553989) by [rawrkinjd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rawrkinjd/pseuds/rawrkinjd), [round_robin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/round_robin/pseuds/round_robin). 



> I definitely recommend the story this one was inspired from - it’s awesome – go have a read - both authors write amazing fic! <3 
> 
> Also, a fill for the August prompt of the witcher kinkmeme: dirty laundry. I did it BB! XD
> 
> Thank you rawrkinJD for the idea and helping with the title and summary, you're great! <3

* * *

“Are you ready, pet?”  
  
Gaetan twitches and scuttles backwards, but the metal bars of his tiny cage press up against his bruised flesh before he’s even taken half a shuffle backwards.  
  
Footsteps. Coming closer.  
  
_Not good. Flee!  
  
_“I hope this time you’ve learnt your lesson,” a menacing voice sneers.  
  
Closer. Closer…  
  
Pressing his hands over his ears, Gaetan closes his eyes and curls in on himself. He doesn’t want to see _him_. Doesn’t want _him_ anywhere near him.  
  
Rubbing his cheek against his legs, Gaetan forgets. Swallowing the blood in his mouth, he presses the other side of his face against his legs and ignores the throbbing ache in his jaw.  
  
A metal whine, the creak of a wooden door…  
  
He presses one trembling hand against his chest, _hard,_ trying to still the sound of his own breathing and his pounding heart.  
  
_Hide!  
  
_“Let’s try it again, shall we? I have brought something that will help you behave. Look, pet.”  
  
Gaetan’s head jerks up, and though the light coming from the top of the stairs hurts his eyes he knows not to close them or look away. He’s been given an order and he knows what happens if he disobeys.  
  
A shadow approaches, and it brings with it the stench of sweat and alcohol.  
  
Gaetan blinks a few times, his eyes watering as he gets used to the light.  
  
_Oh no…_ He’s seen that look on his owner’s face before.  
  
The man steps closer and prods him with the stick he’s carrying. “Look!” He holds out something for his inspection.  
  
Gaetan’s eyes ache as the light catches on the metal and reflects towards him. Rounded metal, leather straps… His breath shudders as he presses up against the metal bars, trying to get as far away from his owner and that _thing_ as he can. His throat still hurts from the last time. “Oah,” he croaks, but it’s all he can manage between the dryness of his mouth and the swelling of his bruised throat.  
  
_Why? Why did I have to do that?  
_  
He clearly hears the whimper he’s failed to hold in and tucks into a small ball, bashing his forehead against his legs.  
  
_Stupid, stupid, stupid…  
  
_“Come out, pet. Out, and on your knees…”  
  
A metal hinge creaks.  
  
Stars are blocking his vision all of a sudden, and the world’s grown darker. It doesn’t feel like he’s moving, but somehow he’s crouching outside of the cage and…  
  
A loud crash sounds from upstairs.  
  
Gaetan presses a hand to the ground and hooks a foot behind his owner’s ankle; he pulls and turns, making the man fall to the ground.  
  
And then he _runs…_  
  


* * *

  
It’s a miracle his owner hasn’t followed him, or sounded the alarm.  
  
_Did I kill him?  
  
_Gaetan stumbles against a low table, his legs cramping and sending shoots of hot pain through the rest of his body. He manages to keep himself upright by catching himself on the table, but everything on it crashes to the floor.  
  
_No, not now!_  
  
His lungs burn, making it difficult to catch his breath and calm down.  
  
Rubbing his eyes with a trembling hand, Gaetan stares at the hallway the best he can with dizzying stars shooting in front of his eyes.  
  
He tries to take a step, but his wobbly legs are locked into position. He hits his thigh with a fist and tries to _focus_ , willing the freakish stars away; he needs to _see_ if he’s to find a safe spot to hide! Yet the stars refuse to go.  
  
Half-blinded, he touches a hand against the wall and _yes_ finally, his legs obey him and he carefully makes his way along the unfamiliar corridor.  
  
There’s something there… Something… There’s a memory niggling at his mind, just beyond his grasp. Closing his eyes, Gaetan presses one arm against his broken ribs and breathes in slowly.  
  
Cloves… pine… wet earth. _Safety_ …  
  
Feeling a calm settling over his mind, Gaetan follows his nose and shuffles along, making his way to the end of the corridor. He’s surprised that there are still no angry shouts or loud footsteps, but he’ll take it.  
  
He shuffles and stumbles along, keeping a hand on the wall as he follows his nose. A left turn here, and then to the right…  
  
Here. Behind this door, that’s where he wants to be.  
  
Feeling the door handle, he finds the door to be unlocked, and he quickly slips inside before anyone can spot him.  
  
Cloves… the forest smells… they’re coming from over _there_.  
  
Making his way over, the stars in his vision breed like bunnies, and while they brighten to a painful intensity, the rest of the world grows steadily darker and darker.  
  
He touches something that feels like wood, and the _safe smells_ are in there. Gaetan feels around and feels something soft beneath his palm, layer upon layer. There are different smells as well, but they’re not bad smells. And all over, the smell he likes best is strongest.  
  
_Safe…_  
  


* * *

* * *

  
Letho quietly closes the door behind him and looks around the laundry room. While he doesn’t see Gaetan right away he knows the Cat witcher is in here; the scent trail he’s followed over here is proof of that.  
  
“Gaetan? Love?” He asks, barely louder than a whisper.  
  
Taking in a sniff, Letho gets a good sense of where Gaetan is, and with a quick focus of his hearing he can easily hear a soft purring coming from one of the wooden laundry baskets.  
  
He can’t help feeling a bit amused on top of his confusion as he walks towards the basket, making sure to keep his footsteps light and even. In all the time he’s spent with Gaetan he’s learnt what may trigger a bad memory, and since the Cat has fled his own room in the middle of the night it was likely he’d had a nightmare or a flashback. Ending up here of all places… he definitely hadn’t been in his right mind.  
  
Memories fucked you up like that.  
  
Rubbing the scar on his chin, Letho crouches down next to the basket and looks inside. He easily spots some of his own dirty laundry, ready for tomorrow’s shift, but still no visible sign of the Cat.  
  
“Gaetan?” He tries again, touching the wood lightly. “Love? You can’t be comfortable in there. Got a whole bed waiting in your room… or mine, if you prefer. Smells are nicer there as well…” Because it _cannot_ be comfortable breathing in Letho’s and the Wolves’ sweaty and soiled clothes.  
  
The purring only grows louder.  
  
Not willing to raise his voice, Letho carefully lifts one of his trousers from the top of the pile, and then shuffles a tunic out of the way, revealing parts of Gaetan’s body.  
  
The witcher is holding on to one of Eskel’s tunics, and his hands make that adorable clenching and unclenching motion they do that Letho’s come to associate with a contended Cat in safe surroundings.  
  
The new bruise on the man’s chin and the dried tear tracks on his cheek, however, belie that whole image.  
  
Nightmare… or flashback. Doesn’t matter. At least Gaetan’s feeling safe enough where he is, but Letho’s worried that if he’ll sleep here for the rest of the night he’ll strain his still healing body and set back his recovery.  
  
“Dear heart?” He tries again, carefully placing his hand on top of the laundry just in front of Gaetan’s nose. He doesn’t poke, doesn’t prod any further than that, and his patience is soon rewarded when a still somnolent Gaetan shuffles forwards and noses at his hand, eyes still closed and purring up a storm.  
  
Now that contact’s been made, Letho carefully strokes the nose beneath his fingers and smirks when golden eyes tinged with green reveal themselves.  
  
“You’re in Kerack, love… in Jaskier’s manor… our new home,” Letho reminds him, turning his hand so his palm faces upwards.  
  
Gaetan nuzzles into his hand and breathes in deeply.  
  
“You can take Eskel’s tunic with you if you like…” Letho cajoles, rubbing his thumb lightly over Gaetan’s cheek.  
  
All of a sudden Letho’s hand is gripped tightly and Gaetan pulls and shifts around, clearly trying to drag Letho into the laundry basket with him. “In here?” The Cat breathes quietly, a little waver present in his voice.  
  
Letho smiles wryly and steps closer so he can reach for the back of Gaetan’s neck, bringing their foreheads together in a move he’d seen the Wolves make when comforting each other.  
  
There’s a soft ‘mrrp’, and the tugging on Letho’s hand ceases. Instead, a small hand presses up over his heart and pushes just slightly; just enough so Gaetan can lean in and meet Letho’s eyes.  
  
The Cat looks so confused, but his eyes are clear; he’s definitely in the moment here. “A _wolf_ hug?” Gaetan asks, and _finally_ there’s that little smirk that’s such a rare sight on the man’s face.  
  
Letho shrugs and can feel his cheeks burning. There’s something fluttering in his chest at the sight, and he’s too much focused on his body’s odd reactions that he somehow missed Gaetan getting out of the basket. He’s only drawn back to what’s going on when Gaetan reaches up towards his shoulders and _pulls_ , dragging himself up so he can press his face into Letho’s chest.  
  
Instinctively, Letho wraps his arms around Gaetan. Not so instinctively, he makes sure not to crush the smaller man in his embrace; Serrit and Auckes always told him his hugs were more like a boa constrictor’s than a Viper’s.  
  
“You did this before,” Gaetan tells him, nuzzling the good part of his face against Letho’s chest and seemingly _soaking up_ all of Letho’s attentions. “Before. You held me.”  
  
Letho shrugs again. “It’s the Viper way.”  
  
“Can I… can I sleep with you tonight?” Gaetan asks. “Would you hold me _your_ way?”  
  
The thing flittering in Letho’s chest seems to turn into soft and melted butter and spreads all throughout his body, making him feel nice and warm and comfy. “Be glad to.”  
  
From the way Gaetan clamps even tighter to his body and the way the purring picks up again Letho doesn’t want to let go of him. Instead, he secures his hold on the Cat and calmly walks back to his own room.  
  
And finally gets to embrace his love in his own language…  
  
**The end**


End file.
